Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-12-08
MUMMiES IN MEXICO.
Perfect Arts of Preserving the Dead
Practiced Centuries Ago.


Perfect Arts of Preserving the Dead
Practiced Centuries Ago.
Even among the Northern Indians
mumifying was frequently resorted to
for people of distinction. Beverly,
who wrote in 1922, says in his "His-
tory of Virginia, with great squander-
ing of capitals: "The Indians are re-
ligious in preserving the Corpses of
their Kings and Rulers after Death,
which they order in the following man.
ner; First, they neatly flay off the
Skin as entirely as they can, Sitting it
only in the back; then they pick all
the flesh off the Bones as clean as pos
sible, leaving the sinews fastened to
the Bones, that they may preserve the
Joints together; then they dry the
Bones in the sun and put them into
the skin again, which in the meantime
has kept from drying or shrinking;
when the bones are placed right
in the Skin, they merely fill up
the Vacuities with very fine white
sand After this they sew up the skin
again and the Body looks as if the
Flesh had never been removed. They
take care to keep the skin from shrink
ing by the use of a little Oil or Grease,
which saves it also from corruption.
The Skin being thus prepared, they
lay it in an apartment for that pur-
pose upon shelf raised from the Floor.
This Shelf is spread with Mats for the
Corpse to rest easy on, and screened
with the same to keep it from the
Dust. The Flesh they lay upon hurdles
in the sun to dry, and when it is thor
oughly dried, it is sewed up in a
Basket and set at the foot of the Corpse
to which it belongs. In this Place they
also set up q Cuioceas GdoD, which
they believe will be guard to the
corpse. Here, Night or Day, one or
the other of the Priests must give his
attendance to take care of the Dead
Bodies. So great an honor and yenera-
ton have these unpublished People for
their Princes, even after they are
dead"
A still older writer improves upon
this North American Indian recipe for
making mummies in the quaint phrase
ology of his times. Says he: 'Their
bodies are first boweled then dried till
very dry, and so about most of their
joynts and necks they hang bracelets
or chains of copper and such like, as
they use to wear. Their inwards they
stuff with beads and such trash. They
then lappe them very carefully in
white skins, and so rowle them in mats
for their winding sheets. And in the
Tombe, which is an arch made of mats,
they lay them orderly. What remain
eth of this kind of wealth their Kings
have, they set at their feet in baskets.
The burials ended, the women having
painted all their faces with black cole
and oyle, doe sit twenty-four hours in
their houses, mourning and lamentine
by turns with such yelling and howl.
ing as may express their great pas
sions.h
In Alaska, up to comparatively mod
ern times, the dead have been mummi
fed. W. H. Dali, in his recent works
on "The Northwest Coast" tells Il,
that within the last half century bodies
have been eviscerated, cleansed from
fatty matters in running water, driet
and placed in cases, wrapped in ful
and woven grasses. The body wa
usually doubled up into the smalles
compass and the mummy case sus
pended, so as not to touch the ground
in some convenient rock shelter
Sometimes, however, the prepared
body was placed in life-like position
dressed and armed. Some were mad
to look as if engaged in congenia
occupation, such as hunting, fishing
sewing, etc. With them was ais
placed efligies of the animals they wer
pursuing, while the hunter was decke,
in his wooden armor and provided wit
an cnormus mask, all ornamented wit
feathers and countless variety O
wooden pendants colored in gay pat
terms. All the Alaska mummies wea
masks, so arranged that the wearer,
erect, could only see the ground at hi
feet. These were also worn at thei
religious dances, from the belief tina
the spirit which was supposed to an
mate temporary idol was fatal t
whoever might look upon it while S
occupied. Cor Troy IN Y.
Times,